Canis Concept Training & Behaviour

27/12/2025

Social media is a highlight reel that showcases the best bits when in fact every single dog has things they struggle with. Some trainers will want you to think they’ve got the perfect dog, showing seamlessly edited videos of obedience, tricks, posting their wins and success stories. We all do it, but what’s important is to voice the not so good bits too.

Many trainers will never show you things that go wrong. Even if you don’t see them, they happen.

Today was a not so good day. Tide is a fantastic dog, he’s relaxed at home, super easy to have off lead hiking but when we head out and I clip that lead on his eyes light up and he’s immediately ready to work. Which is great for his role as a sports dog but in other scenarios isn’t always a positive…

Our goal is to change Tide’s perspective that busy environments aren’t just for training. It’s not something that mattered before but with Crufts looming our priorities have changed.

Our obedience is coming along nicely but the environment of Crufts is a lot to deal with so requires extra planning too. I didn’t want Tide like a coiled spring all day waiting for his turn in the ring. Instead I wanted to practice relaxing in busy environments where he’d usually train. I didn’t want to command him to do anything, just relax and walk with me - easy right? Apparently not for this workaholic.

I looked down and could see his eyes as wide as saucers. As we walked he kept trying to offer behaviours. I knew with the snap of my fingers he’d be delighted to hop into a heel and prance along under formal obedience. Sure it would look impressive but that wasn’t our goal. I didn’t want obedience I wanted a calm mindset.

His eyes grew wider and his anticipation grew. ‘We always train obedience in town, so why not today?’ I could see his questioning stare. The rules had changed. This was alien to him, free time is off lead in the forest. Not here? I tried to reassure him as we continued.

After a while I hoped the anticipation would dissipate but it soon turned to frustration. Tide let out a few barks and grabbed the lead with his mouth and began tugging. I could feel the eyes of the crowd staring. It only lasted a matter of moments but a dog as large as Tide draws attention.

I could’ve got embarrassed. Frustrated. I could’ve disappeared as quickly as possible back to the van. Abort mission! However, that doesn’t achieve anything. Instead, we got control back. Reset and tried again. It wasn’t perfect but better.

Eventually once out of town and at the promenade Tide was then rewarded with a fun obedience session. Which he was delighted about. We followed this up with a settle and people watched for a while.

It wasn’t our finest hour but it was successful as Tide still learnt something from this outing. Obedience is easy, changing our dogs mindset and emotions is much harder. We will keep pushing through and slowly change his perception of what’s expected.

The real success doesn’t come from within your comfort zone. It requires determination to stick with it even when it’s awkward and uncomfortable.

26/12/2025

I know I should be signed off for Christmas but I’m just too excited not to share this news immediately 😁

After the overwhelming positive feedback when GRC Dog Sport UK came to visit and delivered a fantastic workshop we just couldn’t resist. We’ve decided to go all out and have officially set up the first GRC club in Wales.

Please if you’ve got a moment head over to our club page and give it a follow at GRC Dog Sport Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

We will be sharing more information over the next week or so about how to get involved ☺️

GRC…

Yet another acronym!
So, what does it mean?

It stands for Gameness, Relationship and Control. Which is ultimately what the sport is centred around.

Gameness is your dogs natural drive. The things most dogs find fulfilling running, chasing, tugging. Just being a dog. However, GRC channels these instincts into drive sports where the dogs can let loose tugging safely on a spring pole rather than your fancy new coat. They can run at full sprint on a slat mill. Got a dog that loves to jump? Instead of jumping over a guests they can do what they naturally find reinforcing by jumping up the wall climb instead. Ultimately they can have an outlet to use that energy and display those natural canine behaviours in a productive way.

Relationship is the foundation work you put in. All the GRC sports start with passing your social responsibility title. This tests good temperament and obedience from your dog but ultimately your relationship too. This SR1 title is ideal for anyone wanting a well rounded dog. When moving onto the drive sports you are also your dogs biggest cheerleader, you will motivate and encourage them throughout. The most successful teams are those built on a great relationship.

Control… this word sounds a bit old school, right? But this isn’t about us controlling the dog in the traditional sense. Instead this is about the dog being able to have self control and about them making good choices. The drive sports unleash the excitement but can our dogs work effectively in higher states of arousal? That’s the real challenge!

The sport includes:

Social Responsibility Titles: SR1, SR2 & SR3
Drive Sports Titles: Spring Pole, Weight Pull, Slat Mill & Wall Climb.

This sport is the perfect blend of all of the above. It’s not just who can run the fastest or jump the highest, each element has control parameters cleverly intertwined which really levels the playing field for all breeds.

21/12/2025

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has trusted me with their dogs throughout 2025.

We’ve had plenty of beautiful puppies starting their training journeys, behaviour client breakthroughs, dogs discovering new sports some of these dogs even heading out to compete for the first time, plenty of new skills learnt, thousands of miles walked with my regular walking crew and most importantly lots of fun was had.

Honestly I cannot thank you all enough for such an amazing year. When I started this business I could’ve never imagined it growing the way it has. That’s all thanks to my wonderful clients both past and present. So thank you! 🙏

I am now out of office until the 5th January where I will aim to make 2026 just as amazing with the help of all of you.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas 🎄

16/12/2025

Dog training is about so much more than simply teaching behaviours. To be successful, we have to look at the bigger picture and consider why our dogs act the way they do.

Otto is a fantastic dog, and the goal of our session was to build on his recall

But here’s the truth: we didn’t actually need to teach Otto a recall.

He had already learned it in classes. The cue was clearly paired with the behaviour, he understood what was being asked, and it had been regularly reinforced. So why did it sometimes fail?

There were a few key factors to consider.

🐾Lack of generalisation
This occurs when a dog can only perform a behaviour in a specific context. However, this wasn’t necessarily the case for Otto.

🐾Lack of impulse control
This is very common in young working breeds. They tend to be highly reactive to changes in their environment and often operate on an “act first, think later” basis.

🐾Competing reinforcers
Has the dog ever ignored a recall and been rewarded for it? Running off to steal another dog’s ball, chase a squirrel, or play with another dog can be incredibly reinforcing. These self-rewarding behaviours can quickly undo a lot of hard work.

🐾Human input
Do we behave differently when calling our dog away from a distraction? Maybe we sound more anxious, tense, or mentally begging them not to embarrass us. Dogs are incredibly sensitive to changes in our body language and stress levels. That rise in cortisol can sometimes make them more reluctant to return, or even heighten their awareness of the distraction. Without meaning to, we can turn the situation into a much bigger event than it needs to be.

🐾Genetic traits
Different breeds have different drives, and those drives can create different training challenges. Understanding what motivates your dog is essential if you want to work with them rather than against them.

🐾The function of the behaviour
This ties all of the above together. Every behaviour serves a purpose for the dog.

So the real question becomes: what was Otto getting out of not recalling?

💡 Let’s break it down… because once we understand the function, the solution can become clearer.

For Otto, the main factors were lack of impulse control, his genetics, and human input. Up until now, his owner had been using a long line to prevent the rehearsal of unwanted behaviours which was perfect, as it reduced opportunities for self-reinforcement. However, at the same time, she was trying very hard to distract him whenever other dogs appeared, unintentionally turning the situation into a bigger “event” than it needed to be.

Genetically, Otto likes to patrol and scan the fields where he walks. He can also feel a little unsure around other dogs, so being able to observe them from a distance helps him feel safe and informed. In reality, he mostly wanted to watch the dogs rather than interact with them.

When he was prevented from assessing his surroundings, that’s when he felt the need to quickly run over and check the dogs out himself (unfortunately for him, the long line put a stop to that).

We worked on impulse control first, starting with toys. We set up recall practice with distractions, but most importantly, we gave Otto the freedom to make choices. If he wanted to observe his environment and watch the distractions, he was allowed to as long as he remained calm.

And guess what?

Once he was given the opportunity to watch (or “patrol,” as he prefers to think of it), he no longer felt the need to approach other dogs. At one point, he even lay down calmly watching while a Labrador played with a ball nearby.

Of course, his human will continue to proof his recall in a variety of scenarios, and we’ll keep working on impulse control for those surprise squirrels 🐿️

After all, the training never ends! 😉

15/12/2025

Best thing about working with dogs is the different personalities.

Roci the cocker tolerates his towel but is thinking about his post walk snack. Whereas I’m sure little Meg prefers the towel cuddles over the walk itself 🤣

They also look like they should be part of a school nativity 🎄

13/12/2025

Those attending the GRC workshop tomorrow please bring your own mug for hot drinks!

Look forward to seeing you all there ☺️

10/12/2025

Super excited to announce that my business has been nominated for the Best of Welsh Business Awards! 🤩

I’m not sure what the process is with regards to judging at this stage but just being nominated is absolutely amazing. So thank you so much 🥹🙏

07/12/2025

Mantrailing this evening with some of our regular club members.

Tonight was their second time trailing in an urban setting. The dogs did very welll especially seeing so they’ve had a month or so off!

Well done Nef, Juno, Nala, Fynn and all your humans! 🥰

06/12/2025

What are people’s thoughts on this? 😊

Do you think the UK would benefit from similar? I’d love to hear people’s thoughts, any pros or cons that this may have?

Yes, some parts of Germany require new dog owners to pass both a written and a practical test, though it is not a nationwide law. This requirement, known as the Hundeführerschein (dog-owner license), aims to ensure that owners understand dog behavior, training, and welfare in order to reduce neglect and improve safety. The written test covers topics such as nutrition and stress signals, while the practical exam assesses how well the owner handles their dog in real-life situations.🤎🖤🩶

03/12/2025

Tomorrow is the day I dread… admin day! Invoice, tax, taking bookings, planning weekly timetable. For me it’s definitely the most stressful part of being self employed 😅

These last few weeks have been super busy with lots of new clients on board along with my lovely regulars! As well as this Tony has been working away a lot so I’ve been left with all 9 dogs (and the other animals too!). So as you can imagine I’ve felt a little snowed under.

As a result my priorities have been in person teaching but the new enquiries have been piling up. It’s now a bit of a daunting task, but tomorrow is the time to tackle it.

So if you’ve been waiting patiently for a reply, thank you! I will be getting back to you by the end of tomorrow. ☺️

In the meantime I will dream of the day that I can afford to employ my own personal admin assistant. That way I can spend all my time with dogs and their wonderful humans! (We can all dream right!) 😉